Shawl Geometry: Edge to Edge Square
This is the ninth post in a series about different shawl shapes and how to knit them. All the posts in the series can be found right here.
Edge to Edge Square
The Edge to Edge Square is knit flat and worked straight from the cast on edge to the bind off edge, with no increasing or decreasing. It’s one of the easiest shawl shapes there is to work, and because of this, it’s a fantastic shape for getting your feet wet adding stitch patterns to shawls.
Calculating your cast on and row count
Determine your final gauge, and desired dimensions.
[Stitch gauge] x [desired width] = [# of sts to CO]
[Row gauge] x [desired height] = [# of rows]
Knitting Instructions
CO [# of sts to CO].
R1: knit across.
R2: purl across.
Rep R1&2 until [# of rows] have been worked.
Bind off loosely.
If you want to incorporate a stitch pattern or motif, make sure your cast on number is divisible by the number of stitches in your stitch repeat, and your number of rows is divisible by the number of rows in your stitch repeat.
The previous post: Side to Side Triangle
The next post: Bias Square
Wednesday Friday Mashup
It’s not Wednesday or Friday, but I have an FO/WIP mashup.
I’m busy working on swatches for the planned Shawl Geometry II. A bunch of the swatches are done, but there are still some more to go.
The current plan is to have Shawl Geometry II focus on subtracting from and dividing basic shapes to get new shapes, and then have a Shawl Geometry III that focuses on adding onto the basics. But that plan might change/get added to. Because Shawl Geometry II & III certainly weren’t in the original game plan.
Here’s the info about Shawl Geometry.
So instead of an FO tomorrow I think I’ll be talking about either why I knit, or the mess that comes from being a maker and trying to distinguish the “what I am” from the “what I do.”
Related posts
Shawl Geometry: Side to Side Triangle
This is the eight post in a series about different shawl shapes and how to knit them. All the posts in the series can be found right here.
Side to Side Triangle
To shape the Side to Side Triangle, you cast on at one corner, increase along one edge until you reach your halfway point, (the second corner), then you decrease along that same edge to your third corner.
This particular shaping is wonderfully versatile, and easily customizable. You can customize the number of stitches you cast on, the rate of shaping along the bottom edge (which changes the angle of the bottom point), and the symmetry or asymmetry of your whole shawl.
Explanation about different rates of shaping
Increase every row (left). Increase every 2nd row (top right). Increase every 4th row (bottom right).
One of the easiest ways to manipulate and customize the Side to Side Triangle is by varying the rate of your shaping.
You can do this by varying the number of rows you work between your shaping rows. Varying the number of rows you work between your shaping rows changes slope of the sides of your shawl, which in influences the angle of the bottom tip of your triangle.
The more often you work your shaping, the steeper the edge of your shawl will be. Conversely, the less frequently you work your shaping, (increasing the number of rest rows between shaping rows) the shallower your shawl’s edge will be.
Symmetrical Side to Side Triangle
Symmetrical shawl calculations
Determine your final gauge, desired length, and desired rate of shaping.
[Row gauge] x [desired length] = [# of rows]
[# of rows] / 2 = [# of rows in each shawl half]
[# of rows in each shawl half] / [desired rate of shaping] = [# of shaping reps to work in each shawl half]
Knitting Instructions
CO 3sts.
Set Up Row: k2, pm, yo, k1.
Increase Section
Work [desired rate of shaping minus one row].
Increase Row: k2, sm, yo, k to end.
Rep previous two lines to [# of shaping reps to work in each shawl half].
Decrease Section
Decrease Row: k2, sm, k2tog, k to end.
Work [desired rate of shaping minus one row].
Rep previous two lines to [# of shaping reps to work in each shawl half].
Final Row: k2, sm, k2tog, k to end.
Bind off loosely.
Knitting Instructions with shaping worked every 2nd row
CO 3sts.
Increase Section
R1: k2, pm, yo, k1.
R2: purl across.
R3: k2, sm, yo, k to end.
R4: purl across
Rep R3&4 to half desired length
Decrease Section
R5: k2, sm, k2tog, k to end.
R6: purl across.
Rep R5&6 to 3sts.
Bind off loosely.
Tips for using up ALL of your yarn
If you want to ensure that you get as much shawl as possible out of the yarn you have on hand, this is an excellent shawl shape to knit.
Use a kitchen scale to weigh your yarn before you start. Then work your increase section, as you’re knitting, weigh your yarn every couple of repeats. When you’ve reached half your original yarn weight, begin working your decrease section. Basing your knitting off of the weight of your yarn ensures that you use all your yarn.
If you’re a bit worried about having enough yarn to finish, begin your decrease section a couple of grams before you’ve fully used half your yarn. This gives you a bit of wiggle room for tension changes and to play yarn chicken with.
Asymmetrical Side to Side Triangle
You can also create an asymmetrical side to side triangle, simply by working either half of this symmetrical side-to-side shawl.
Point to End Asymmetrical Calculations
Determine your final gauge, desired length, and desired rate of shaping.
[Row gauge] x [desired length] = [# of rows]
Point to End Asymmetrical Knitting Instructions
CO 3sts.
Set Up Row: k2, pm, yo, k1.
Work [desired rate of shaping minus one row].
Increase Row: k2, sm, yo, k to end.
Rep previous two lines to desired dimensions and [# of rows].
Bind off loosely.
End to Point Asymmetrical Calculations
Determine your final gauge, desired length, desired depth at wide end, and rate of shaping.
[Row gauge] x [desired length] = [# of rows]
[Stitch gauge] x [desired depth at wide end] = [# of sts to CO]
End to Point Asymmetrical Knitting Instructions
CO [# of sts to CO].
Set Up Row: k2, pm, k2tog, k to end.
Work [desired rate of shaping minus one row].
Decrease Row: k2, sm, k2tog, k to end.
Rep previous two lines to 3sts, and until [# of rows] have been worked.
Bind off loosely.
The previous post: Triangle with Wings #1
The next post: Edge to Edge Squares
